Easy-open can end

ABSTRACT

This application discloses a can end having a scored tear-out panel and an integral rivet securing a pull tab to said panel, wherein the tear-out panel may provide for removal of substantially the full end panel. In order to prevent failure of the rivet during the initial opening process while at the same time not increasing the effort required to open the tear-out panel, beads are provided, one on each side of the rivet, in an outwardly facing Vee configuration. Each Vee may be composed of two separate beads or the Vee may be a continuous bead. The application gives the necessary parameters to achieve the desired results.

United States Patent 1191 Brautigam Jan. 7, 1975 [5 EASY-OPEN CAN END3,662,916 5/1952 HOlk, Jr. 220/54 7 ld 5] Inventor 32?: Roger Brautigam,S1dney, Primary Examiner George T. Ha

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Melville Strasser, Foster & [73] Assignee: TheStolle Corporation, Sidney, Hoffman Ohio 122 Filed: July 13, 1973 [571ABSTRACT This application discloses a can end having a scored [2]] Appl379095 tear-out panel and an integral rivet securing a pull tab RelatedUS. Application Data to said panel, wherein the tear-out panel mayprovide [63] continuatiommpart of Sen 241,535, April 6 for removal ofsubstantlally the full end panel. In 1972, abandone order to preventfailure of the r1vet durmg the init1al opening process while at the sametime not increasing 52] US. Cl ..220 273, 220/276 the effort required top the tear-Out p l, beads [51] Int. CL; ..I. B651T17/i4 are Provided,one on a h sid of the rivet, in an [58] Field of Search 220/48, 54wardly facing Vee configuration- Eaeh Vee may be composed of twoseparate beads or the Vee may be a [56] Refer n Cit d 7 continuous bead.The application gives the necessary UNITED STATES PATENTS parameters toachieve the desired results.

3,591,037 7/1971 Schrecker 220/54 7 Claims, 5 a g Figures EASY-OPEN CANEND BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This application is acontinuation-in-part of an application, Ser. No. 241,535 filed Apr. 6,1972, now abandoned.

The invention relates to the solution of a problem which was sought tobe solved by a copending application in the name of Elton G. Kaminski,Ser. No. 113,330 filed Feb. 8, 1971, and in the parent application ofthe present invention.

It was pointed out in said copending applications that easy-open endsfor cans have come generally into widespread use, particularly whensolid foods are packed in cans, substantially the full end panel must beremoved. Examples of foods which are packed in cans of this nature arethings such as peanuts, potato sticks, candy, ground coffee, and thelike.

Many of these materials now packaged in easy-open cans are packagedunder high vacuum or high pressure; and in order to avoid danger ofeither explosion or implosion of thecan end, the scoring residual ismade relatively high. The presence of a heavier residual in the scoreplaces a greater strain on the rivet head during the opening process andparticularly during initial portion of the opening process. In theopening of such an easy-open can, the pull tab is first lifted, therebypuncturing the can end, bending a portion of the end downwardly into thecan. Thereafter, the panel with the score line is pulled upwardly bymeans of the pull tab to remove the panel from the can. During theinitial lifting of the tab and bending down of a portion of the end, therivet is subjected to substantial stress and it is at this point thatfailure mostoften takes place.

As was also pointed out in said copending applications, variousprocedures have been adopted in the past to try to overcome the problemof rivet failure. Some of these involve lancing of the tab or scoringbehind the rivet; but these attempts have not been uniformly successfulbecause of the wide range of products which are packaged in easy-opencontainers.

The parent application sought to-solve the problem by means of a pair ofbeads, one on each side of the rivet, but at that time the parameterswhich are necessary in order toboth prevent rivet failure and not undulyto increase the effort required to open the can were not known.

The objects of the present invention, therefore, are substantially thesame as those of the copending applications, i.e. to provide a beveragetype or a full panel easy-open can end in which the strain on the rivetduring the opening operation and particularly during the firstphase'thereof is relieved so as to preclude rivet failure. At the sametime, it is an object to accomplish prevention of rivet failure while atthe same time not unduly increasing the effort necessary to open thecan.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a canend showing rivet failure.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing a proper opening withoutrivet failure.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a can end showing the beads which accomplishthe object of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing a modification; and

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the parameters necessary in order to achievethe desired results.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 demonstrates what happens with conventionalconstruction. It shows the underside of a panel of conventional formwhich has been torn from a can by means of a pull tab 19. At 20 it willbe observed that the rivet has ruptured. When this happens, it is oftenimpossible properly to remove the easy-open panel from the can.

FIG. 2 shows a similar view of a can end according to the presentinvention'which has been opened and the underside of the removed panel21 is shown in this Figure. It will be observed that the rivet has notbeen broken and thus a part of the object of the invention has beenachieved.

In FIG. 3 a can end is indicated generally at 10. It is provided with acircular score line 11 defining the panel which is removed when the pulltab is actuated. The rivet which secures the pull tab to the top side ofthe can is indicated at 12. At 13 are indicated parallel beads. Thesebeads are preferably depressed, but they will function equally well ifraised. These beads are parallel to a diameter of the can end throughits center 14, the diameter being indicated by the broken line 15. Thebroken line 16 indicates a tangent to the rear side of the rivet, i.e.the side of the rivet toward the center of the can end, which tangent isnormal to the diameter 15.

Additional beads are indicated at 23 and these beads are generallyparallel to the score line 11 so that they make a Vee configuration withthe respective beads 13.

As shown in a modification in FIG. 4, the beads may be joined togetherin a continuous Vee or J-shaped bead as indicated'at 33.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship of the beads 13 to therivet 12. The dimension A should be equal to about the rivet diameterplus one-sixteenth inch and the beads 13 should be equally spaced oneither side of the rivet 12. They are of course parallel to the line 15mentioned above.

The dimension B should be not less than 40 percent nor more than percentof the rivet diameter. In other words, the beads 13 should not extendupward as shown in FIG. 6 beyond a tangent to the rivet 12 perpendicularto the line 15.

The dimension C should be not less than 73 percent nor more than 83percent of the rivet diameter. If beads extend less than 73 percenttoward the center of the can, insufficient stress is removed from therivet and rivet failure is likely to happen. On the other hand, if thebeads extend more than 83 percent (dimension C), the opening effort isincreased to the point that it is unsatisfactory.

The beads 23 and the portions 23a of the beads 33 act as stiffeners oneach side of the tab. Thus, when the end is initially opened, thesestiffening beads cause more of the panel to fold downward toward theinside of the can. In other words, a greater arc length of score line toeach side of the tab nose is initially fractured. This causes a foldline to assume a more normal position with respect to the ends of thebeads which are closest to the center of the end.

It will be clear that minor modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit of the invention. No limitation not specifically setforth in the claims is therefore intended and no such limitation shouldbe implied.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In an easy-open metal can end having an integral rivet, a pull tabsecured to said panel by means of said rivet, said panel being definedby a score line having a relatively high residual; a first pair of beadsdisposed equidistantly, one on each side of said rivet, substantiallyparallel to each other and to a diameter of said can passing throughsaid rivet, and a second pair of beads generally parallel to theperiphery of said can end, one of said second pair of beads beingassociated with each of said first pair of beads in a Vee configurationwith the apex of said Vee configuration pointing toward the periphery ofthe can end.

2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the distance between said firstpair of beads is equal to about the rivet diameter plus one-sixteenthinch.

3. The structure of claim 1, wherein each of said first pair of beadsextends forwardly of the rivet center between about forty percent andabout fifty percent of the rivet diameter.

4. The structure of claim 1, wherein each of said first pair of rivetsextends rearwardly of the rivet center between about seventy-threepercent and about eightythree percent of the rivet diameter.

5. The structure of claim 1, wherein the beads forming each of said Veeconfigurations are connected so as to be continuous.

6. The structure of claim 1, wherein the distance between said firstpair of beads is equal to about the rivet diameter plus one-sixteenthinch, each of said first pair of beads extending forwardly of the rivetcenter between about 40 percent and about 50 percent of the rivetdiameter, and rearwardly thereof between about 73 percent and about 83percent of the rivet diameter.

7. The structure of claim 6, wherein the beads forming each of said Veeconfigurations are connected so as to be continuous.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION qPATENT NO. I 3,858,753

DATED January 7, 1975 |NV ENTOR(S) Donald Roger Brautigam It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent q are hereby corrected as shown below:

The description of Figure 4 in Column 1 should read Q FIG. 4 is a viewsimilar to FIG. 3 showing a modification; and

Signed and Scaled this T mmy-third D y Of November 19% w [SEALI' Arrest:

# RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioneruflatenrs and Trademarks

1. In an easy-open metal can end having an integral rivet, a pull tabsecured to said panel by means of said rivet, said panel being definedby a score line having a relatively High residual; a first pair of beadsdisposed equidistantly, one on each side of said rivet, substantiallyparallel to each other and to a diameter of said can passing throughsaid rivet, and a second pair of beads generally parallel to theperiphery of said can end, one of said second pair of beads beingassociated with each of said first pair of beads in a Vee configurationwith the apex of said Vee configuration pointing toward the periphery ofthe can end.
 2. The structure of claim 1, wherein the distance betweensaid first pair of beads is equal to about the rivet diameter plusone-sixteenth inch.
 3. The structure of claim 1, wherein each of saidfirst pair of beads extends forwardly of the rivet center between aboutforty percent and about fifty percent of the rivet diameter.
 4. Thestructure of claim 1, wherein each of said first pair of rivets extendsrearwardly of the rivet center between about seventy-three percent andabout eighty-three percent of the rivet diameter.
 5. The structure ofclaim 1, wherein the beads forming each of said Vee configurations areconnected so as to be continuous.
 6. The structure of claim 1, whereinthe distance between said first pair of beads is equal to about therivet diameter plus one-sixteenth inch, each of said first pair of beadsextending forwardly of the rivet center between about 40 percent andabout 50 percent of the rivet diameter, and rearwardly thereof betweenabout 73 percent and about 83 percent of the rivet diameter.
 7. Thestructure of claim 6, wherein the beads forming each of said Veeconfigurations are connected so as to be continuous.